Washington Coastal Resilience and Adaptation Funding for Tribes (WA-CRAFT)           

Download the RFA as a printable PDF

About the Funding

Estimated Funding Range per Award: Base award of $60,000 per Tribe; non-competitive. Tribes receiving the base award may request additional project funding if any funds remain after initial awards are made.
Eligibility: Federally recognized Tribes located on the Washington coast.
Expected Period of Performance: October 17, 2025 – September 30, 2027.
Sponsor: Climate Impacts Group, University of Washington.

Timeline:

*This schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the Climate Impacts Group. Please sign up for the small-grants mailing list to keep apprised of any modifications.

#All projects will be reviewed by NOAA for Environmental Compliance (EC). Some projects may require a full NEPA review, while others may not; the latter may receive a categorical exclusion. Proposals will thus be grouped into two batches:

• Batch One (projects expected to receive categorical exclusion): Funding may be available by Winter 2026.
• Batch Two (projects requiring more complex environmental compliance review): Funding may be available by Spring 2026.
  

Informational Calls: We hosted two opportunities for potential applicants to ask questions about the application process.

July 14, 2025        11am-12pm          View the recording     

July 29, 2025        11am-12pm                 

Program Background and Purpose

This grant program is led by the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington. It is funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coastal Management by the Inflation Reduction Act as part of the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge grant awarded to the Washington State Coastal Climate Resilience Partnership, which is led by the Washington State Department of Ecology.

The grant program is designed to provide financial assistance to coastal Tribes for the development and/or implementation of climate change adaptation projects that address their unique needs and priorities. The program aims to alleviate near-term funding and capacity constraints while building enduring, long-term capacity to sustain resilience activities beyond the performance period.

Eligible Activities

This program supports coastal Tribes in Washington state. Eligible applicants include tribal governments and their affiliated entities, such as tribal natural resources departments and emergency response teams. This funding is designed to be flexible and responsive to the unique needs and priorities of each Tribe; there are no predefined restrictions on how funds may be used, as long as the proposed work aligns with the applying Tribe’s climate resilience goals.

Applicants are encouraged to define:

• Their Tribe’s climate resilience goals and/or what climate resilience means to their community
• How the proposed project supports those goals or definition of resilience

Examples of eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• Capacity building (e.g., hiring staff, training, community engagement)
• Climate change vulnerability assessment or adaptation planning
• Adaptation implementation projects (e.g., for infrastructure, health, or natural resources)
• Monitoring and evaluation of climate impacts or adaptation efforts
• Disaster preparedness and emergency response planning
• Policy development
• Climate engagement and education programs for youth

Environmental Review and Compliance 

Applicants should be aware that projects involving ground or water disturbance may trigger federal environmental compliance requirements that may delay project start dates. This includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

Examples of activities that may trigger environmental review include:

• Ground disturbance (e.g., excavation, grading, or site preparation)
• Shoreline modification or restoration
• Installation of infrastructure (e.g., culverts, seawalls, green infrastructure)
• Deployment of air vehicles, including uncrewed air vehicles such as drones

If your proposed project includes any of these activities, please be aware that NOAA’s environmental compliance review can take up to six months to complete. This may delay the execution of your grant agreement and the start of your project.

To avoid delays, applicants may choose to:

• Propose only the planning or design-only phases of implementation projects
• Consult with the program contact early in the process to assess potential compliance needs

Eligibility and Qualifications

This non-competitive grant program is open to all federally recognized Tribes located in Western Washington, specifically those with lands adjacent to the Pacific Coast, Puget Sound, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The following Tribes are eligible for this program:

1. Chehalis
2. Cowlitz
3. Hoh
4. Jamestown S’Klallam
5. Lower Elwha Klallam
6. Lummi
7. Makah
8. Muckleshoot
9. Nisqually
10. Nooksack
11. Port Gamble S’Klallam
12. Puyallup
13. Quileute
14. Quinault
15. Samish
16. Sauk-Suiattle
17. Shoalwater Bay
18. Skokomish
19. Snoqualmie
20. Squaxin Island
21. Stillaguamish
22. Suquamish
23. Swinomish
24. Tulalip
25. Upper Skagit
    

Project Proposals

Project proposals will be accepted between July 1, 2025 and August 11, 2025. Applicants should download the template files below and submit completed proposals via Jotform. Please reach out to Noelani Villa, Tribal Climate Adaptation Specialist (noelaniv@uw.edu), if you require any assistance accessing or completing the application. Link to form: https://form.jotform.com/251877752222158. 

Reporting Requirements

This grant program employs trust-based reporting that honors Tribal sovereignty and diverse knowledge systems. Applicants are encouraged to create their own progress-reporting frameworks that reflect their Tribe’s approach to tracking success, community impact, and climate resilience.

Rather than following standardized evaluation methods, applicants may define their own indicators, reporting styles, and success measures. Some examples include:

• Talking Circles – Facilitated discussions to evaluate lessons learned and impact
• Two-Eyed Seeing – Blending Indigenous knowledge and Western science to assess outcomes
• 7th Generation Impact – Measuring success by its long-term benefits for future generations
• Strength-Based Approaches – Highlighting growth, capacity-building, and empowerment
• Visual Reporting – Maps, artwork, video, or photography illustrating resilience efforts
• Community Surveys and Testimonies – Gathering feedback through Indigenous-led engagement. In Coast Salish territories, this may include witnessing, where respected community members observe and report on the work and its impact through oral testimony.
• One-on-One Phone Calls – Direct conversations with the grant program manager 
• Written Reports – Traditional narrative or summary reports 

Minimum Requirement:

The program team is available to support grantees in developing their reporting approach and can offer templates or examples upon request. 

Using the evaluation and reporting approach of their choosing, all grantees must submit:

• A mid-project update (due September 30, 2026)
• A final report within 60 days of project completion (due November 30, 2027)

Technical Assistance

If technical assistance is required at any point during grant application preparation, please contact Noelani Villa at noelaniv@uw.edu or 206-543-7754. You can also schedule an online meeting or phone call.